Nicosia

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Nicosia

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Nicosia, the heart of Cyprus In the north, the Buyuk Han is worth visiting. This sixteenth-century caravansera was a stop for travelers. © Stefan Auth

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Divided into two since 1974, Nicosia (Lefkossia in Greek) has suffered considerably from the violence between the Greek and Turkish communities. Today, it is the only split capital in the world,having been divided in two by the "green line" wall, which you frequently come accross while walking around the city. The Old Town is an area densely packed with sites to visit. Inside the Venetian ramparts, the archaeological museum offers an excellent introduction to the tormented history of this island, which has never stopped being coveted by foreign powers. The Museum of the Patriarchate has an impressive collection of Byzantine icons. The tourist district of Nicosia, the Laika Yitonia, is made up of narrow streets lined with shops and cafes. If you cross the "green line" to go into the Turkish-occupied zone, go and see the Saint Sophia cathedral, which dates from the 14th century and was transformed into a mosque in the 16th century.